Increasing Eyewitness Accuracy

Eyewitnesses to crimes are not always reliable; they think they remember the facts about an event, yet they make errors. Describe psychological factors that might account for such errors. If you were a police officer, lawyer, or prosecutor who had the job of interrogating witnesses and you wanted to increase eyewitness accuracy, what are some things you might do?

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Tips for Improving Eyewitness Accuracy and Recall:

Eyewitness testimony continues to be perceived as one of the strongest forms of evidence, yet it is often inaccurate. One of the biggest reasons why eyewitnesses to a crime make errors is due to stress. There is an emotional response to witnessing a criminal event. Most of the time people are shocked to see a crime occurring as it is not something that was expected. The shock and stress of the unexpected event can impair a person's ability to notice key details during the event. If those details ...

Solution Summary

This library solution provides tips and suggestions for increasing the accuracy of eyewitness testimony and recollection of the observed event.